Vice President Ansari arrives in Thailand

Bangkok: Vice President Hamid Ansari arrived today on a three-day visit to Thailand on the second and last leg of his visit to southeast Asia."Eastern friendships flourish. After a successful visit to Brunei, VP Ansari arrives in Thailand to a 19-gun salute," external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted along with pictures.

Ansari was visiting Thailand at the official invitation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and it was the first visit by an Indian vice president to this southeast Asian nation in 50 years. Apart from holding a meeting with Prayut, Ansari will also have an audience with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who is a scholar in Sanskrit.

Ansari will deliver a speech on India's Look East and Act East policy at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and also address members of the Indian community. India-Thailand trade now stands at around $8.66 billion. Ansari will also briefly visit the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

"The relationship between India and Thailand has traditionally been very close," Anil Wadhwa, secretary (east) in the external affairs ministry who was accompanying the vice president, told a news agency in New Delhi ahead of the visit.